India’s e-waste to sharply go up: ASSOCHAM-KPMG report -Governance Now

India’s e-waste to sharply go up: ASSOCHAM-KPMG report

About 18 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste was discarded in 2016

GN Bureau | September 7, 2017

#KPMG #ASSOCHAM #e waste #recycling

GN Photo

By 2020 India’s e-waste from old mobiles and computers will rise by about 1,800 percent and 500 percent respectively as compared to the levels in the year 2007, according to an ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study.

India discarded approximately 18 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste in 2016 which is about 12 percent to the global e-waste production. India is the fifth largest producer of e-waste in the world and recycles less than two percent of the total e-waste it produces annually.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change rolled out the E-waste (Management) Rules in 2016 to reduce e-waste production and increase recycling.

Under these rules, the government introduced Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) which makes producers liable to collect 30 percent to 70 percent (over seven years) of the e-waste they produce, said the study.

The industry is unable to cope up with these targets as majority of the e-waste collected in India is managed by an unorganised sector. Also, informal channels of recycling/ reuse of electronics such as repair shops, used product dealers, e-commerce portal vendors collect a significant proportion of the discarded electronics for reuse and cannibalisation of parts and components, adds the study.

Accompanied by the huge size of the population and rising electronics users in the country, managing an unorganised sector to achieve such high targets may not be feasible. Thus, the ASSOCHAM suggests that the government may look at collaborating with the industry to draw out formal/standard operating procedures and a phased approach towards the agenda of reducing e-wastes to the lowest.

Alternatively, the government may also refer methods adopted by other countries for efficient collection and recycling of e-wastes. For example, South Korea, one of the largest producer of electronics managed to recycle 21 percent of the total 0.8 million tonnes of e-waste that it produced in 2015, said the study.

Comments

Other News

Skin in the game or masterful market timing?

When a company founder opens their personal chequebook to buy shares in their own business, stock markets usually applaud. To the average retail investor, it feels like the ultimate vote of confidence, a sign that the people running the show have real skin in the game and believe brighter days are ahead.

India’s freedom struggle was shaped by wider Asian political thought

As we mark 80th anniversary of independence, ‘Asianism and the Fall of Empire’ (HarperCollins India) by historian Mithi Mukherjee offers a new perspective on Ind

What is colonialism? A relook at modern history

The Chromatic World Order: The Fiction That Rules Our World By Sajid Mohamed Aakar Books

Monsoon session of parliament adjourns sine die

The Monsoon Session, 2026 of Parliament which commenced on July 20 was adjourned sine die on Thursday. The session provided 19 sittings spread over a period of 25 days. During the session 11 Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha and 2 Bills were introduced in Rajya Sabha. 12 B

Consumer Justice at a Crossroads

Over the past four decades, India`s consumer protection landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation. What began with the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 as a simple mechanism to empower ordinary citizens has evolved into a comprehensive framework capable of addressing challenges ranging from mislea

Doctors, experts call for ban on junk food ads, mandate warning labels

More than 30 doctors, medical scientists and public health professionals have urged the government to take decisive action against the aggressive advertising and marketing of junk food, calling for a watershed ban on advertisements for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPF